u/RideWithMeSNV

So, I have a small house. Just not big enough for all the things I want/need to be doing. I'm looking at building a shed, about 10'x20'. In there, I plan to put a work bench, and a small office setup. And that requires an Air Conditioner, because I live in the Mojave. But I don't want to kill my power bill. Of course, I'm going to insulate it, and drywall it.

From the rough draft, it looks like I can fit about 2400 watts of solar on the roof. From there, I'm thinking I put the cables truth the wall, and into a charge controller, and out to batteries. The batteries would feed an inverter, which powers the ac (I'm looking at 1500w for 15000btu) . Then maybe a second inverter to power a laptop and some lights.

How bad of an idea is that?

So, I was just at the gas station, and saw a guy I've seen before, holding a squeegee. He wasn't getting any love, and I had time. So I offered him $3 and a Gatorade to hit my windshield, and driver/passenger front. I put the Gatorade holding the cash on the hood, fully expecting him to do the windshield and walk. But, no. For that little bit of change, he gave me a clean polish. From my brief interaction with him, I kinda got the impression that this might be it for him. Like, he's out here fighting to make ends meet on permanent disability kinda stuff.

So, I'm thinking it might make me a decent human if I gave him $20, plus a backpack and supplies to do a quick clean up of the dash and interior glass. What he does after, well, I'm sure I'll have nice things to say about it.

So that's the origin story. And I know he loves about a mile up the hill, on foot. If you were trying to get a service going, had to carry it on your back, but know what you know today... What would you stock your bag with?

I'm looking at this twin pocket hole jig. It looks like it's better built and easier to use than the Kreg I have. It's also less than half the price I paid 5 years ago. In my mind, something has to give, right? Like, brittle plastic, or it wiggles when you use it. This isn't actually a solid jig at a good price, right?

So, I'm the lighting guy. Switched from concerts to tradeshow during the pandemic. At that time, I was working for a guy that didn't really care, and would totally fight with the hall about things he knew he was wrong on. But that's not me. I don't like to argue with the guys just doing their job unless I am absolutely certain that me being right requires them being wrong.

So, I recently developed a need for an SPL meter. I could get a cheapo, and that would probably get the job done fine... But can I really trust the $30 model if it comes down to telling some hall guy that's been doing this since 1875 that his ear is wrong? I want to know for damned sure that my meter is correct before I make someone else's life difficult.

So. I don't need 1/100 decibel accuracy. But I do need absolute confidence that when the meter says 87 at a given point, the sound pressure is absolutely 87 and not 88. Is there a budget balanced model that you guys would put full faith in?

TIA

Over on r/FoundSatan, there was a post about a neighbor parking in OPs driveway. Being the vindictive person I am, I posted a comment about having it towed, and hinted at the fees that come with it. For an added step, I suggested refusing to tell the neighbor who did the tow, and telling the police you forgot who you called. Of course, the police will want to check your phone... But they'll need a warrant, and good luck getting a warrant for "property owner had unwanted vehicle towed".

So, my question is, regarding all that bullshit I made up, what laws, if any, would be broken? If it makes a difference, the neighbor had been told on multiple occasions that they may not park in the owners driveway. To satisfy the auto mod, I'm in Nevada. But I'm interested in nationwide answers, as some areas might be "nah, you can totally do that", and others have it as a class b felony.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$1500 +/-

Are you open to refurbs/used?

Sure. Used is cool if it's up to the task.

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Quality and performance first. Battery life would be nice. Form is whatever.

How important is weight and thinness to you?

It would be convenient, but not really a factor in the decision.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

16"+

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Video editing, and limited cad. DaVinci Resolve, Vectorworks Spotlight.

If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

N/A

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

Build quality is key. I prefer to use the onboard keyboard, so a nice one is cool. I like touch screens, but not 100% required.

Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

My old ideapad is finally done. Stuck on Windows 10. I tried to play some drone footage, and it's coming through at a frame per second. Also, totally not a mac guy.

So, my wife left a couple years back. Decided she wasn't happy, and I was at a point where I hated knowing that if she left, my life would be notably easier. But you know what I really miss? Her Cricut. Before I take the plunge and get a Maker... Is there anything better at this point?

So far as what constitutes "better"... I'm not hung up on speed. I'll be doing one offs that take as long as they take. I'm more interested in accuracy. And types of material it can handle. I'd like to trim everything from hearts out of tissue to nameplates out of aluminum. And I did like that the Cricut could do pens, since my handwriting is trash, and pen just looks different than what the printer spits out.

Thank you all!

I've got a company trip coming up in the bay. The work is in Oakland, but we're staying by the airport in San Mateo. I just found out that we have 2 guys flying in from Italy to support. That means that I'll need to entertain. So, good dinners on the company dime.

My problem is that I don't really do high quality dining. Like, sure, I know the difference between a dinner fork and a soup spoon, but ultimately I'll use whatever is closest (nothing is closer to my hand than my hand).

So, does anyone have any recommendations for restaurants to impress the guests? I'd really appreciate local owned, specifically. I like when my money hangs around the area I spend it in.

Edit: thank you all very much! You have excellent taste. Seems I might need to make a menu of good restaurants and let the team pick.

And ok, for fun: We start the night with one of the 6 star options... Then I take them up to SF, and park near Market & Taylor. To cap the night, we play "did I forget where I parked, or is it stolen?"